It's the first day of Spring and everyone is looking forward to a new season of riding. What are your goals this season?

Mine are: be in riding condition by May 1 (indoor training plus rides when weather is above 40); ride 2.5k miles over summer; get avg speed up to 19 mph; lose 15 lbs.

North american masters Championships end of June.

tempeteKerouakMar 21, 2002 8:34 AM

Fist goal: nice tan lines

Secondary goal: Nor-Am Championships in Sutton (Just north of Vermont)

Three days;
One time trial
One Criterium
One road race.

Objective: Do my best in the TT, finish the crit. and help my teammates get into the winning break.

After that, I will select one road race and race for myself.

Here and there a mountain bike race. Hopefully in mud-rain condition! So much fun!!!

Just ride!

re: What are your goals this season?

DINOSAURMar 21, 2002 8:46 AM

Increase my miles. I've found that by pushing my miles up to 5 miles more a day it makes a difference in my condition. I'm shooting for 150+ miles per week, (riding hills). Riding without crashing or injury are my main goals. Watch my diet and be more consistant. I take baby steps. Oh, paying more attention to my chores around the house and to Mrs. Dinosaur and family. She is becoming weary of being a cycling widow...
Spring isn't here yet where I live, rain is in the forecast and it makes it hard to put in steady miles...I would have a 146 mile week, but rain days will cancel that out..
One more thing...to find some different ride routes, the old ones are getting kind of boring..

re: What are your goals this season?

Dave HickeyMar 21, 2002 8:48 AM

1. Loose 15 pounds. I've already lost 11, so I only have 4 more to go.
2. Do my first triathlon in April. Do an Olympic distance by July

****Last but not least*******

3. Not be so worried about my annual mileage. I've ridden 5k-6k/yr for the last 3 years. This year I'm doing a lot more cross-training( running, speedskating, and swimming).
I'm doing more hours of excerise but less cycling mileage.
I've found I enjoy my cycling more and actually have more productive rides.

Masters road nationals and MTB nationals

JSMar 21, 2002 8:51 AM

I heard from a team mate that the Masters national course in Bakersfield is tough, lots of climbing, Yeah. Like to help a teamate or do well myself. Really want to do well in the 35-39 expert class at the MTB nationals this year and maybe go to worlds in Canada. No injuries is probably the most important goal of all though.

re: What are your goals this season?

WannabeMar 21, 2002 9:05 AM

My New Year's resolution was to become as fit a cyclist as my life, wife and 20month old son will allow!

I've got a good start, been riding on the trainer in the basement 5 days/week. First group ride is April 10th. Can't wait!

Andy

re: What are your goals this season?

zero1Mar 21, 2002 9:18 AM

to ride, ride, ride, ride, ride, ride, ride !!!!!!!

Quit drinking on Friday nights.

SintesiMar 21, 2002 9:42 AM

It messes up my Saturday ride. :( When I was young I had the constitution of a horse. After a wild night, I would pop out of bed like Dick Van Dyke and do what ever my heart desired. But, alas all good things must end.

Whoa dude! Think this one through

James CurryMar 21, 2002 10:39 AM

You really need to think about this one!

First: You're as young as you feel!
Second: Dick Van Dyke didn't shave his legs!
Third: You could just start earlier in the day, like say three!!!
Four: Ride a beach cruiser to the bars-one with one of those cup holders on the handle-bar (so you're constantly reminding yourself to drink responsibly).
Five: Drink two glasses of water and take three advils before beddy-bye.

Whammo! Drinking problem solved.

nah...your just not on form

Spirito di FinocchioMar 21, 2002 10:40 AM

have a quick swig before you head out in the morning .... you might laugh but its not a bad fix

;-)

All the Euro's do it.

James CurryMar 21, 2002 10:45 AM

Eddie B's book even talks about it. A last resort measure for the waning wienie was to crack open a beer about an hour or so before the feed zones and give it some time to flatten out!

INSTANT CARB'S, Mild pain killer, out of your system before the finish line! Bike handling may be a little altered, but not hindered!

'This either helps or kills' he says.

LOL... a true gifted athlete....

Spirito di FinocchioMar 21, 2002 10:57 AM

can party and drink with the women, dance all night, and wake up and race the next day.

if you have to cut back on the joie de vivre then science and dedication is your friend and those victories aren't anywhere near as great nor is your sporting prowess.

the height of true sportmanship will arrive when the winner of the TdF lites up a ciggerette, guzzles rather than sips the champagne and snogs both the femmes on the victory dias. thats class. eddy merckx will move to # 2 on my list.

from there on i will name all my pets, children and wives after that great man.

say out aloud

"ALL WORK AN NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY"

Cut it out guys, you're weakening my resolve. (nm)

SintesiMar 21, 2002 1:13 PM

sorry....(hic)......"roll me over in the clover...." NM

Spirito di FinocchioMar 21, 2002 2:52 PM

Here here! Well put lad!

AhimsaMar 21, 2002 5:34 PM

Pass me the bottle ya drunken sot. I'd rather be pissed now and suffer in the morn than twiddle my thumbs whilst my mates toss 'em back. Life is too short.

"And all I've done for want of wit to memory now I can't recall. So fill to me the parting glass, good night and joy be with you all."

A.

some say Life is too short, I say Life is 2 Shots....

Spirito di FinocchioMar 21, 2002 5:56 PM

besides i have spent enough time getting people drunk from the other side of the bar it would be foolish of me not to promote liver and brain cell damage as a general panacea and sure bet for good times and easy mirth.

them tips add up to lots of fancy bike parts for me ;-)

and nothing is funnier than sitting with a bunch of cyclists whilst smashed talking about training strategies and brilliant rides and tech stuff. Hilarious.

hey sintesi , where do you live ill shout ya a drink and show you a proper friday nite!!!

Climb to Kaiser

mr_spinMar 21, 2002 9:45 AM

This year I decided to stop tracking my mileage in a log. I got 7500 last year and I don't think I can exceed that while holding down a job. Plus, I just don't care any more. All my previous goals have been accomplished, except for the one where I meet a single woman who can keep up with me on a bike and we fall in love.

So I must get bigger goals. This year, my goal is to do the Climb to Kaiser and not suffer through it. I don't want to just finish it--I want to finish it strong. Not an easy task, from what I understand. But I choose this not because it is easy, but because it is hard.

Climb to Kaiser

grzyMar 21, 2002 10:11 AM

You'll do fine if you can deal with 106 F or it's a cool day in Fresno! ;-)

Climb to Kaiser

mr_spinMar 21, 2002 10:27 AM

Ah yes, I know, but that's part of the problem. I know I can do the mileage and the climbing. But I've bonked badly in heat a couple of times. I don't drink enough, I go too hard, and all that reckless and undisciplined rider stuff. I usually have one bonk every year that sets me straight for a while, so part of my training will be to get that wake-up bonk in early!

here's a tip

RideLotsMar 21, 2002 1:35 PM

Take 2 water bottles and a Camelbak. You do not have to keep them all full on the climbs up (to keep the weight down). But, on the way back down, at the Shaver rest stop, fill them all with iced Gatorade, as much ice as you can put in the Camelbak. Then, on the 5,500 feet or so of descent to the valley, you'll have plenty of cooling fluids, and the extra weight actually helps you. With the Camelbak, especially if you have the Tube Director, you can drink even going down the hairiest descents and get fully hydrated before you hit the valley heat.

You might keep one bottle only for pure water, and fill it with ice water at Shaver to squirt over your head when you get hot. I did this at 400 miles+ in 106 degree temps in the 508 and it really helped.

Climb to Kaiser

AaronLMar 21, 2002 11:11 AM

C2K is a beast, I can tell you that. I've done it the last two years. Last year was very hot and the temp accounted for the best finishing time being a bit off the average (my teammate was the first in at 8:59, avg is usually about 8:20-30).

This year I'm told they have a 200 mile option. It's an extra 25 mile out and back section up near Hunnington Lake.
That's just wrong! :)

If you do several all day rides with a lot of climbing to train for it, you'll finish Kaiser feeling fine. However, there is no getting around the heat of the last 30 miles. It can be punishing, to the point of dangerous.

I'm not sure if I'll do it again this year. I've had enough.

Climb to Kaiser add on

RideLotsMar 21, 2002 1:38 PM

here's the extra 45 miles; it leaves out of Shaver lake on the way back:

http://www.midcalracing.com/dinkey.htm

Finish RAMROD under 9 hours (nm)

chopperMar 21, 2002 10:26 AM

wasnt RAMROD the car used by the ambigously gay duo NM

Spirito di FinocchioMar 21, 2002 10:43 AM

wasnt RAMROD the car used by the ambigously gay duo NM

chopperMar 21, 2002 10:51 AM

This is RAMROD:

http://www.redmondcyclingclub.org/ramrod/rrelev.gif

No idea who the gay duo is??

OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! nm

Spirito di FinocchioMar 21, 2002 10:59 AM

Heh heh heh!

AhimsaMar 21, 2002 5:19 PM

Did ya happen to catch the bin Laden episode of that? Keerist, was it funny.

Cheers!

A.

re: What are your goals this season?

dotkayeMar 21, 2002 10:35 AM

1. sub 1:15 for the 42k of the bike leg of Boulder triathlon.. pathetic, but there it is..

2. first century as part of the training for 1.

3. improve on the bike leg splits for each of the tris I do this year. I have a new bike which is 4lbs lighter than last years', so this should be easy, right ? hah !

re: What are your goals this season?

IAMMar 21, 2002 11:33 AM

First and foremost would have to be better overall fitness. I have 12 lbs left to get to my goal weight, and that will make me very happy.
Second is to ride as much as possible, which I am usually good at but sometimes it's hard to get off the couch.
Third would be to do my first century. Being a newbee and coming from mtbing I really don't know how hard that will be but I'll work towards it.
Fourth is to get up enough nerve to race my mtb. I have raced in a team 24hr before but have never really had the nerve to do an individual race, it's the fear of finishing last I guess.

re: What are your goals this season?

goathead1Mar 21, 2002 12:42 PM

Finish the Assault on Mt. Mitchell in less than 6 hours!

to not get hit by any more cars!! (nm)

AlexxMar 21, 2002 12:46 PM

400 miles in 24 hrs

RideLotsMar 21, 2002 1:14 PM

I'd like to ride 400 miles in the Davis 24 hr challenge April 20. My season is pretty much done, then.

good luck = thats close to 17mph without stop...wow NMs

Spirito di FinocchioMar 21, 2002 2:54 PM

don't forget H-blockers

cyclopathicMar 21, 2002 4:52 PM

Zantac 75 is over counter. It is common to have acid flux (I tend to get it after ~200mi) and then it is hard to stay on aerobars. I've used Tums but they only work for 1-1.5hr, then you have acid rebound.

btw how flat is it? what is your food plan?

food

RideLotsMar 22, 2002 6:30 AM

The course is a 160 mile "day loop," which is sort of hilly. That should take about 10 hours. After that, it's a perfectly flat "night loop," 18.5 miles around. I should be able to average about 20 mph on the night loop.

I learned a lot about food in the 508 last fall. Even on that nightmare of a course, I made 370 miles in 24 hours. Mostly sticking with Sustained Energy, 400 calories per hour, laced with Hammergel and minerals.

Doing the day loop on the C40, and the night loop on the Cervelo P3, set up at 78 degrees. The wider hip angle should help take the pressure off the abdomen, a problem I had in the 508 while on the aerobars for extended times.

maybe I'll see you around

cyclopathicMar 22, 2002 8:45 AM

if you decide to come to east coast for Quadzilla or BMB. (there're also Rocky mnt 1200k and Iowa 24 but I have no plans). Quadzilla is 400mi but there's no way it is doable in 24hr ;). the fastes it has been done is 32.

After what I went through with stomach acid (about 14-20 Tums/24hr no help) I just take Zantac 75 every 6hr. It blocks acid production and it's better that way really.. btw can you survive 24hr without any solids? I can't, PB&J sandwich, pleeasee!

re Boston Montreal Boston or quad century

dzriderMar 21, 2002 1:53 PM

I'd also like to recover some of my tennis game.

Best three PR's ...

Humma HahMar 21, 2002 7:39 PM

Last year I rode about 4000 miles (18 short of that, but I'd have hit if if the computer hadn't malfunctioned numerous times). Not much by this group's standards, but they were cruiser miles. Using my theory that 1 cruiser mile is 1.3 roadbike miles, its like 5200. Still kinda wimpy. I want to log more miles this year, maybe get myself up better than 6000 roadbike miles (4615 cruiser miles).

I hit a distance PR of 152 miles one day last year, am aiming for 160 this year.

I'd like to ride the cruiser in a 200 k brevet.

I'd like to ride the C&O towpath with MB1, possibly making that the 160.

Double

RideLotsMar 22, 2002 8:30 AM

Tell you what - do a double on the cruiser, and I'll do one on my Bianchi Milano (I know that's not equal, but you have far more experience on these things).

Doug

have fun, drink more.

LeisureMar 23, 2002 1:16 AM

If I weren't going to school I might think about getting my resting HR under 50. Eh, well.